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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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AUTOMATIC RELIEF VALVE.

No. 392,982. Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

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Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

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I5 justing the same.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BELL, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ASS IG'NOR OF ONE HALETO JOHN O. STEPHENS, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,983, dated November20, 1888.

Application filed November 25,1887. Serial No.256,142. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WASHINGTON BELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trusses; and it consists incertain novel features, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view with the beltshown partly in section. Fig, 2 is a longitudial section of the electricadjustable pad and the means for ad- Fig. 3 is a detail perspective viewof one of the improved adjustable arms, showing a pressure-pad attachedthereto.

I Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the ordinary pressure-pad.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the band of the truss,on the rear end of which is adjusted the pad B. A spindle,

G, is attached to the front end of the band,and

on this spindle is arranged the socket D. It will be seen that thissocket may be turned at will around the spindle and secured in anydesired position by set-screws,provided for the purpose, which passthrough the sides of the socket and impinge at the inner ends againstthe spindle.

E designates a plate,which is formed on the outer end of the socket D,and it is provided with a central tapped opening or aperture, E.

G represents a flat spring,which is arranged over the plate E, and isprovided with a central aperture, H, to register with the opening F. Aset screw, I, is passed through the opening H and engaged in the tappedopening, whereby when the former is screwed in the spring is drawnfirmly toward the plate E.

The said spring normally stands away from the plate, as shown in dottedlines in the section, Fig. 2. A series of perforations, K, are formed inthe spring G, near the outer edge, and they are arranged in a semicirclearound the set-screw.

L designates the adjustable arm of the truss, which is provided at oneend with the ear M,

which is provided with a central aperture, N, v

to register with the apertures in the plate E and spring G and receivethe set-screw which is engaged in the said apertures. able arm may beturned around the said setscrew to assume any desired position, and itwill be seen that if the set-screw is tightened the spring will be drawndown and bind the said arm in the desired position.

0 represents a pin,which is arranged on one side of the ear M in suchaposition that it will engage in either of the perforations in thespring G, and therefore when the said spring is drawn down by theset-screw this pin is locked in one of the perforations and the armcannot be moved until the spring is allowed to rise to free the pin.

P designates a pad having an annular body,

Q, provided on the outer side with an annular shoulder, R. A spiralspring, S, bears at the outer edge on this shoulder, and it is securelybound in place by the annular plate T, which is secured on the outerside of the body Q. V designates a collar. arranged on the adj ustablearm L and adapted to slide thereon, and it is provided with setscrew o,to enable the same to be clamped at the desired point on the arm. Thiscollar is provided with a spindle, U, which is attached to the center ofthe said spiral spring,so that the pad may be rotated to enable it to beproperly adjusted to the shape of the portion of the body against whichit is designed to bear. It will be seen that the spring, arranged asdescribed, in the pad will allow the latter to rock in all directions,so that as the person moves the pad will not rub and irritate the flesh.This rubbing,will if allowed to continue, produceinflammation,which willreduce the advantages which might be derived from the use of a truss.There is no irritation of the parts when this pad is employed.

The means of adjustment of the pad will now be seen. The socket may berotated on the spindle O, the adjustable arm may be arranged at anydesired angle to the band, the pad may be adjusted at any pointof thelength of the said arm, and may also be rotated thereon. A copper plate,X, is secured on the inner side of the annular body of the pad, a zincplate, Y, is arranged on the outer side of the copper plate, and feltinsulation Y is dis- The adj ustposed between the plates to cut off allelectrical connection. An opening is formed in the center of the copperplate, and a copper wire, Z, passes through the side of the annular bodyand up through the said central opening in the copper plate to form anelectrical connection with the zinc plate. the wire Z on the outer sideof the body Q is formed into a loop, 2, for a purpose to be described.

The ordinary pressure pad, a, which is shown in Fig. 4., is constructedvery similar to the electric pad just described. It comprises theannular body I), having a shoulder, c, on the outer side, the spiralspring d, seated on this shoulder, the annular plate e, secured on theouter side of the body b,to hold the spring in place, the said springbeing attached at the center to a spindle, which is formed on theadjustable collar to be applied to the adjustable arm. A cushion, is, isarranged on the inner side of the annular body, and the entire body andcushion are enveloped in a casing, Z, of chamois-skin or other suitablematerial. It

v will be understood that either of these pads may be attached to thetruss.

A designates the electric belt, comprising the casing 13, of leather orother suitable and preferred material, and the battery D, inclosedwithin the said casin g. The battery consists of a series of cells ofcopper and zinc arranged alternately and indicated, respectively, by theletters 0 and Z. These cells are connected together by the copper wiresG G, which are laced through the said rolls and pass, respectively, uponopposite sides of the insulating-pads.

K designates an electrode, which is connected to one end of the batteryby means of the copper connecting-wire M. The wire M is integral withthe wire M, andis connected at its free end to the rear end of thetruss-band in any preferred manner, but preferably by forming a loop inthe end thereof and engaging it over any suitable screw on the rear pad.The wire L, which is attached to the opposite end of the battery, isprovided at the end with a hook which is engaged in the loop 2 on theside of the pad I. It will thus be seen that the one end of the batteryis connected electrically with the zinc plate on the face of theadjustable pad.

The construction of the battery and the details of its connection withthe truss are made the subject-matter of a separate application, andtherefore are only mentioned herein to enable the present invention tobe more readily understood.

It will now be seen that the electrode K will bear against the body nearthe rear end of the truss and the electric pad I will bear on thediseased part, and the current will flow through these two poles andpass directly through the rupture.

It is evident that the electric belt may be readily removed to allow theremainder of the device to be used as an ordinary truss.

The end of The electric pad herein described is included in the drawingsand description of this case to show that the improved means foradjusting the pad may be applied with advantage to electric pads as wellas to ordinary pressurepads.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a truss, thecombination of the band A, a plate, E, and the spring G at one endthereof, the set-screw to draw the spring and plate together, theadjustable arm L,.pivoted on the set-screw betweenthe spring and plate,and the pad attached to the arm L, all constructed and arrangedsubstantially as speciiied.

2. In a truss, the combination, with the band A, having the plate E onone end thereof, of the spring G, attached to the said plate and havinga series of perforations, .K, the adjustable arm L, having its inner endfitted between the spring and the plate, the set-screw I, to draw thespring and plate together, the pin 0 on the arm L, to engage theperforations K, and the pad attached to the arm L,' substantially asspecified.

3. In a truss, the band A, having the spindle G, the socket D, fitted onthe spindle so that it may be turned at will around the spindle, theclamping device to hold the socket at any desired position, the arm L,pivoted to the socket D and capable of angular adjustment independent ofthe socket, the collar V, disposed on the arm L and provided with asetscrew whereby the collar is capable of axial and longitudinaladjustment on the arm L,

and the pad swiveled to the spindle U, connected to the collar V, sothat the pad may be turned or rotated, as set forth.

4. The herein-described pad comprising the body having an angularshoulder on its rear side, the flat coiled spring having its coilsnested together one within the other in the same planc,the outer coilsbearing on the pad within the shoulder, the plate secured to the bodyand projecting over the outer coils to confine them in place, and thespindle U passed through the center of the spring and swiveled, as setforth.

5. In a truss, the combination, with the band having a spindle, O, ononeend, of the socket D, mounted on the spindle and having set-screws toimpinge at their ends against the spindle, the said socket having aplate, E, at its free end provided with a central'tapped aperture, F,the spring G, mounted on the socket adjacent to the said plate andhaving an aperture, H, therein aligning with the aperture F, theset-screw mounted in, the aligned aperturcs,the movable arm L,mounted onthe said screw between the spring and the adjacent plate, and the padattached to the arm L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a truss, the combination, with the band having a rigid spindle, O,on one end, and the socket D, adjustably mounted on the IIO spindle andhaving a plate, E, provided with the central aperture, F, of the springG, secured to the socket 3), adj acent to the said plate, and having acentral aperture, H, aligned with the aperture F, and the semicircularseries of perforations K, arranged around the central aperture,the'setscrew Lengaging the aligned apertures, the arm L, mounted on theset-screw between the spring and the plate and having a pin, 0, on itsouter side engag-

